Educators and reading specialists met at a public hearing of the Senate Majority Policy Committee in Douglassville to discuss the impact of new reading instruction requirements and consider further improvements. The event was hosted by Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-24) and chaired by Sen. Dave Argall (R-29), who represents parts of Luzerne, Carbon, and Schuylkill counties in northeastern Pennsylvania and leads legislative efforts on education funding as chair of the committee, according to his official website.
The panel focused on Acts 135 of 2024 and 47 of 2025, which mandate structured literacy approaches in schools, early identification for struggling readers, and improved literacy resources for teachers. These laws followed Mississippi’s model that led to significant gains in student reading scores.
“There are few things more important in a young person’s life than learning to read,” said Pennycuick. “We know students who fall behind in reading are less likely to be successful in almost every subject area. That’s why establishing structured reading instruction is critical to the growth and education of our kids.”
“It doesn’t matter which career path our young people decide to take — it is impossible to function in today’s world without being able to read,” Argall said. “Our work to boost literacy rates and ensure our children have the tools they need to succeed is just beginning. Today’s hearing gave us valuable insight into what is working well and what work remains ahead.”
Shane Cross from Daniel Boone Area School District described progress with structured literacy implementation, commending staff efforts but also requesting more resources such as a central curriculum repository and additional literacy coaches.
Rachel Garnick from Teach Plus highlighted that only about one-third of Pennsylvania fourth graders achieve proficiency on national assessments, with average scores dropping since 2015. She pointed out that Mississippi’s adoption of structured literacy resulted in faster score improvements than any other state between 2013-2024.
Candace L. Hall from the International Dyslexia Association — Pennsylvania stated: “the ‘Mississippi Miracle’ was not luck; it was the product of intentional, long-term implementation.” She advocated for a statewide plan aligning families, educators, agencies, and leadership around evidence-based reading instruction.
Rachel Langan from the Commonwealth Foundation called for reforms including expanded educational options and tax credit scholarships for K-12 students. She noted that while public education spending has increased significantly over ten years in Pennsylvania, reading scores have continued to decline.
Argall continues constituent services through multiple district offices addressing state-agency issues alongside his legislative work (source). He has also worked as a public policy instructor at several colleges (source).
A full video recording and written testimony from the hearing are available on the Senate Majority Policy Committee’s website.